


Jealousy

by gillyandersons



Category: The Fall (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 12:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6375580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillyandersons/pseuds/gillyandersons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jealousy is an emotion that Tanya Reed Smith has had very little experience with. She can probably count on one hand all the times in her life when the green eyed monster has taken hold of her. </p>
<p>But, since meeting Stella Gibson, that green eyed monster has taken permanent residence within her, rearing it's ugly head all the damn time now</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jealousy

Jealousy is an emotion that Tanya Reed Smith has had very little experience with. She can probably count on one hand all the times in her life when the green eyed monster has taken hold of her.   
  
But, since meeting Stella Gibson, that green eyed monster has taken permanent residence within her, rearing it's ugly head all the damn time now.   
  
It's a strange emotion, one she is not at all comfortable with. Not even as a child did she get jealous, she had an amazing childhood and has her parents to thank for that. Even during her school and university days she had no real reason to be jealous - she was a straight A student, probably top of her class and was always popular. And then she met David in lower sixth. He had always been gorgeous, and had girls, most of them a lot more beautiful than she thought herself was, throwing themselves at him. But even then, even though she spent half her life with this handsome, intelligent man who had women throwing themselves at him left right and centre, she never got jealous.   
  
She supposed it was because she never loved him, not properly. Not like she loves Stella, she realises that now.   
  
But all anybody has to do is even look at Stella, and she breaks out in an angry, jealous sweat.   
  
They've not been together that long, but just long enough for people to wonder _why_ such a high ranking and respected officer of The Met would transfer to the PSNI.   
  
It was at _her_ request that the two of them keep things quiet, she's not exactly ready for the whole world to know about her and Stella yet. Tanya's kids know, their respective families and close friends know, David knows, she's pretty sure Dani Ferrington knows, but that's about it. The rest of the station doesn't know, and they are all under some stupid, delusional illusion that they all have a chance with Stella.   
  
Jim won't give it up, he's always ringing Stella in the middle of the night, drunk and crying and promising to leave his wife. Reed knows that he is of _no_  competition for her, and she would find it kind of funny if it wasn't so pathetic.   
  
She can't help but roll her eyes from her quiet, secluded corner table at the pub when Jim drunkenly stumbles up to Stella. Reed can't exactly hear what's being said, she can see Stella rebuff him. Stella's body tenses and Reed knows the blonde is pissed. This is becoming almost routine between them now. But Jim doesn't seem to be able to take no for an answer.   
  
Stella can hold her own, but she's turning about to walk back toward their table and Jim catches her off guard. He grabs Stella's arm, the two glasses of wine she's carrying slosh out and onto the floor, soaking Stella with a deep, crimson stain in the process.   
  
Before Reed's even had the chance to process what's going on, Stella's punched Jim square in the nose. _Again_. The pub, which is full of police officers is all on edge, but it's Tom fucking Anderson who jumps between them. He is up there in the speed of light, powered by his ridiculous delusion that Stella is some damsel in distress and only he, her true love - her knight in shining armour, can save her.   
  
He stands between Stella and Jim, clearly trying to protect her. Reed knows Stella 'victory fucked' him (Stella's words, not her own) and he has held a candle for her ever since. Reed can't blame him. But still. Stella has barely said five words to him since the Spector case closed, and he has hung off every single one of them, hoping that, despite Stella's blatant disgust and hostility toward him, they'll fall into bed once more. And that Stella, by some stroke of sheer miracle, will fall in love with him.   
  
Martin and Eastwood are both holding Jim back, dragging him outside kicking and screaming, yelling for Stella and pleading for her to love him back. It's not the first time he has embarrassed himself like this in public, and Reed senses it certainly won't be the last either.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tom asks, rubbing the tops of Stella's arms. His tone is so patronising that it takes all of Stella's strength not to roll her eyes.   
  
"I'm fine" she shrugs, shoving him off her like his touch alone burns her skin. And not in the good way like the way Tanya's fingertips leave a burning trail of love and desire on her. She's about to once again turn to walk back to their table, when Tom, mirroring his superior officer, reaches out and grabs Stella's wrist.   
  
This is when Reed see's red, or rather green. She stands from her chair so abruptly that it scrapes across the wooden floor of the pub, grabbing the attention of half the people in there.   
  
Reed is across the floor in a few strides, the lust in the young officers eyes directed toward her girlfriend just adds fuel to the already aggressively burning fire. Stella's already pulled her wrist from Tom's grip and is about to ask just what the _fuck_ he thinks he is doing when Tanya darts across the room.   
  
The instant she reaches Stella, her hand snakes around the blondes tiny waist. Stella is stiff and tense, but relaxes as soon as she feels the other woman's touch. She leans in close, feeling utterly safe and comfortable in Tanya's arms.   
  
"You okay, baby?" Reed asks, feeling Stella suddenly tense up beside her again.   
  
"Um..." Stella mumbles, clearly confused by Reed's public display of affection. She's not sure how to react, thinking maybe Reed's just had a slip of the tongue. "Yeah, fine" she replies, swallowing thickly and wondering what the actual fuck is going on.   
  
"Good" Reed grins up at Stella, and there's so much confusion swimming around Stella's eyes right now. Reed's hand slowly drops from around her waist, brushing against Stella's backside making the blonde jump slightly. Tanya's only had one glass of wine tonight, so she cant be drunk, can she? Stella wonders, but she catches the undeniable flash of anger and jealousy in Reed's eyes and she can't help but smirk.   
  
Reed turns toward Tom, who is still stood there looking at Stella like a love sick puppy. It makes Reeds stomach churn, but she ignores it.   
  
"Thank you" she forces a fake smile in the young mans direction. "For stepping in" Reed's hand gently brushes against Stella's hip in both a loving and possessive manner, and they both turn toward their table.   
  
"But... Stella"   
  
She doesn't know what it is that finally tips her over the edge, but in one swift move, Reed's wrapped her arms around Stella's neck and is kissing her. She can feel the eyes of everybody in the pub burning into the back of her, most disapprovingly, but she doesn't care. Reed's hands get tangled in the mass of silky blonde locks as she pulls Stella flush against her. Reed's never been one for big public displays of affection, but she's so overwhelmed with anger and jealousy and frustration that she could think of nothing other than shoving her tongue down Stella's throat. This possessive, jealous side of Tanya comes as a shock to both of them.  
  
It's not exactly the way she would have like to have outed herself or their relationship, but she has to spell it out one way or another. And since people can't seem to take no for an answer, this is the only way Reed could think of that might hammer the message into their thick skulls.  
  
Stella lets out a surprised squeal before she kisses her back, her arms circling around Tanya's waist. Stella smiles before she pulls away, and Reed can see that her cheeks are tinged red. Stella rests her forehead against Tanya's for a second, looking into her eyes and asking a million questions at once. What the hell just happened? Are you okay? Are you sure you're okay?   
  
Tanya just smiles, pecking Stella on the lips letting her know that, yes, she is okay. That they are okay. That she doesn't give a fuck anymore. That she just needs these people to respect that Stella isn't available to them - whether or not they approve of their relationship.   
  
Reed's not exactly sure what's going to happen next. Their foreheads are still resting together, and if she closes her eyes she can pretend they're the only two people in the world. That the pub full of police officers aren't staring at them. That she hasn't just outed herself to everybody she works with. That Tom Anderson isn't standing there with a stupid, heartbroken look on his face.  
  
Stella seems to sense this, and squeezes Reed's hand reassuringly. Tanya's not sure when or how they started holding hands, but she is glad they did.  
  
Stella looks up, away from Reed, and stares at all the pairs of eyes currently fixated on them. Tanya watches as Stella raises her brows, completely unperturbed, and clears her throat in a way that says shows over, what the fuck are you all looking at it?!. And in true Stella Gibson style, she seemed to be so confident and intimidating that it scared the shit out of every last one of them.   
  
The muffled chatter seemed to once again pick up instantly as everybody turns back to their conversations, too afraid to cross Stella.   
  
"Two red wines please" Stella turns and smiles at the bartender like nothing had happened before leading Reed back to their table in the corner. Tanya was glad that Dani and a bunch of her friends were now sat at the table directly beside them, and that there was so many of them that they spilled onto Stella and her own table. Dani and Stella shared a knowing look as Reed slipped into her seat. It warmed Tanya's heart to know that Stella had made friends already. Her and Dani were close and she was glad Stella had somebody, other than herself, to talk to.   
  
The bartender finished pouring their drinks and Stella squeezed Reed's shoulder lovingly as she passed her on the way to the bar. It was then, in that moment, the small, trivial show of affection that she felt it.   
  
A wave of happiness washed over her. Much like jealousy, this certain kind of feeling was new to her. She was so blissfully happy with Stella, and none of the rest of it seemed to matter. She was happy, Stella was happy, her kids were happy and she was so overwhelmed with love that everything else seemed to disappear. She was no longer afraid of what other people thought, of how people would disapprove of her relationship with Stella. As long as she had Stella beside her, she felt like she could take on whatever the world threw at her.   
  
It was with this new found sense of confidence and happiness and love that Tanya happily kissed Stella in the open whenever she felt like it for the rest of the night, and every night to come. Why she openly held Stella's hand, her thumb lovingly stroking Stella's knuckles as she did, whenever they were out in public.   
  
Maybe jealousy wasn't such a bad thing after all, Reed grinned to herself, sipping her wine as Stella pecked her cheek and sliding back into the chair beside her. 


End file.
